Pooley looks forward to defending Allianz title

The senior P-G-A Allianz Championship held on the Glenn Oaks Course in suburban Des Moines is moving to May this year after being held in August since its inception. Defending champion Don Pooley returned to Des Moines Wednesday for the event’s media day. He says he really loves coming to Des Moines as the golf fans are very supportive and he says Glenn Oaks is one of his favorite courses. He says winning last year was a thrill and surprise after missing the first five months of the tour with should surgery. Pooley says he’s not on the top of his game just yet. He says he’s been playing very erratic, and has had some good rounds, but not put together two or three good days. Pooley says the summer time is usually his best time. Pooley says there’s a big change proposed for the championship tour that he doesn’t favor. He says they’re threatening to eliminate golf carts from the tour. Pooley says the fans and players don’t care, but the P-G-A wants the change. He thinks the move will hurt the tour.He says the bad part is there are a lot of name players that need a cart to get around, and he says they probably won’t play without a cart. He says that’ll bring in a lot of new players, but ones you’ve probably never heard of them. Pooley says he doesn’t want to see the name players excluded. He says he doesn’t know if that’s what this tour is about. He says it’s more entertainment rather than getting the 78 best golfers out. He says it’s more entertainment instead of being an older version of the P-G-A tour, but he says that seems to be the way it’s moving. The tournament is May 17-23rd.